Every time I go to a horse show I swear I see more things that irritate me. Most recently, I've noticed that I have zero tolerance for people crowding the warm up ring lunging their 1/2 dead horses. If you put your horse on the lunge line and after 10 minutes he's still just happing trotting and cantering without jumping or bouncing around...odds are he doesn't need to be lunged and you're just taking up space!

I hate rail hogs in the warmup pen, and what is it with people NOT knowing the left shoulder to left shoulder rule? I just stop and make them go around, but it is irritating, especially if I keep running into them and they KEEP hogging the rail!

Ditto above. I hate it when people who are doing work on their horses don't move to the middle of the arena. Many times have I been loping the rail and someones horse dead stops and roll backs right into me.

Oh where to start. Like others have said it's left to left. There is no ediquette (sp?) anymore. I hate when people have out of control horses and they run up on you and not to mention they don't give you a warning. People who keep jumping and jumping their horses when they've done the jumps a million times and never had a problem. Thats why I don't do the hunters any more, I've gone to Eventing. I also hate the judges that pick the same ones even though they got the wrong lead or diagonal. Ok, getting off here.

I have to admit, I do forget which shoulder to shoulder it is often (left to left left to left!) lol. BUT I don't have one old enough to ride in the ring yet. So it's not me doing wrong! haha Hopefully I'll remember left to left before my oldest is broke.

I have a way of getting each horse I take used to the ring. I'll walk them all the way around on the rail one way then the other. Then do a brief longe in the middle. I have been forced to use a corner once when I got there late and three other people insisted on useing their 40ft longe lines with their horse allllll the way at the end.

I often get to the show hours early though so I usually am able to do all my getting ready before the riders get on in there so I stay out of their way. Since if my babies do act up I want to be able to have the room.

Hmmmm, my pet peaves....

Getting started late.. (had my last one get started almost 2 hours late).

Not opening the entry booth until like a half hour before it starts... I have horses to get ready!! And am often in the first couple of classes!

I also have to say, watching the riders,, no one looks where anyone else is anymore.. I have seen people, like someone said before, do a roll back right into another horse... or back into other people.. seriously.. LOOK before you do. It isn't your home arena.

Edited by DiluteMe, 26 October 2010 - 10:52 AM.

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"Hold Nothing. If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your Father, kill your Father. Free of Everything, you are bound by Nothing. Live the Life that is Given to you."

I hate it when shows don't give ample time for warmup, or take out a break that is listed in the showbill, or don't give equal warm-up time for western and English horses. I especially hate when a show designates a specific warm-up time for English riders only, and people still take their sloooow western pleasure horses out there and get in everyone's way. There is a certain AQHA judge and trainer who does that constantly at the shows and I respect him less and less every time I see him.

Why set goals? ...because if you aim fornowhere, that's exactly where you'll go!---------------------------------The best way to train your horse--work with it. Ride, rinse and repeat!!!(quote by rnnthesun)

kids running around with no supervision, I was on the cross country course heading to the finish flags and there was a whole row of parked horse trailers I was passing and couple of kids were playing tag around them and came running out as we passed, my horse was calm and didn't react to much, when I got to the finish flags I let someone know about the kids, but a rider had fallen off her horse that spooked at those kids who were playing before someone got to them. I have had kids almost litterly run under my horse and run behind them, playing and screaming and so fourth, and the kids that are doing this are always unsupervised.

It bothers me as to how extremely most oblivious riders are while in the ring.

My horse kicks, so I have the red ribbon on his tail, but people still decide to ride up my horse's butt and get upset when he makes a pissy face at them. Luckily, I know how to handle my horse in a situation like that.

I've had people ride so close on the side of me that I've actually been hit with a whip multiple times.

The times between classes are kind of ridiculous at certain shows.I've had 2 minutes to go from a hand held class to a equitation class, how exactly am I supposed to change my attire, saddle my horse, get on, and get to the ring in 2 minutes?

My pet peeve is the class list at some of the open shows. I mean, do you really need a class called English Pleasure Horses Open AND English Pleasure Horses, Jr. & Sr. Ex.??? I know you want to make money but you could cut a hour off your show time by replacing that class with something else...maybe a fun class!

I second the ring etiquette is severely lacking nowadays! And this stems to inside the show pen as well. If you are trying to pass someone please check your "blind spot" BEFORE returning to the rail so that you do it at a SAFE distance from the horse you just passed.

since i don't ride english that much or western AT shows, i have to stick with my pet peeves in barrel racing.

I hate it when doing warm ups you can be riding your horse on the rail and BOOM there is someone who is doing run rollbacks with no care of who is there or not. I stick to the center when im doing my warm up circles and get rude looks all the time. But im not in anyones way.

Or during the show there are ppl getting in the way of the alley and when you start your run you have to wait for those to get out of the way.

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My biggest pet peeve at shows (I run barrels and do gymkhana) is mainly the red ribbon rule. if your horse shows signs of wanting to kick if a horse gets too close you are required by rules of not only the arena but also the CGA district to tie a red ribbon to your horses tail or you get disqualified if your horse kicks someone and you knew your horse kicked. Granted new riders (and we keep up with who is new and who isnt) get a chance, if they are new we arent as harsh but still require red ribbon to go on the tail if new rider for gets after being told they get disqualified from one race if it happens again they get disqualified from the show, we have a strict 3 strikes rule when it comes to new riders and a no tolerance with seasoned riders.

I mostly run games and MY biggest pet peeve is gate sour horses. If you have to beat, drag, lead, pony, or back your horse into the gate, give the poor creature a break and a vet exam! It obviously hates its job!! I understand some jigging for horses on the muscle but its pretty easy to tell the difference between an excited one and a sour one. It's especially annoying when it's hot, it's a big show, and these selfish riders with their miserable horses make the show go longer than necessary. It got so bad this year that several shows I went to gave you your in the hole call, on deck, up, warning, DQ. I LOVED it.

We put on and manage an open show in the spring & fall months. I'm a stickler about safety because we get a lot of green riders & green horses that are schooling and have a list of safety rules that we enforce. Things such as passing a safe distance, no cantering/fast racking in the trailer area, and stallions are expected to be kept under control but mare owners are a also responsible for keeping their mares away from stallions as well. We're there to teach people good safe horsemanship and encourage beginners and help them bring their horses along.

We also show halter/western pleasure, hunter, Ranch and occaisonally run barrels. Personally from doing all that I don't care what's in the ring or where they pass or how they work in the arena as long as they don't cut in front of me when I'm cantering or they don't run into me. If I or my horse can't deal with horses trafficking at different speeds then that's something I need to work on,not someone else. They have as much right to be there as I do. But not everybody thinks that way.

I was at a QH show earlier this year to show halter and brought my gelding that I show Ranch to just get some arena time -- paid for the stall for the weekend. The outside ring was a zoo while they were setting up the trail pattern and the ring was full of SEASONED show trail horses. I decided to just WALK along the outside rail of the arena where the barrel racers normally walk to warm up -- there's a livestock chute on that side so I it was about 8' from the rail. I got in trouble and told to not ride out there because it was causing trouble for the horses in the ring?! I nearly fell off my horse laughing. They talk about crazy barrel horses but the barrel horses can deal with horses walking just outside the pen!

Just a little while later they had a long lunch break so I decided to go ride in the inside ring before the western classes. The arena was huge and there was maybe 5 horses ON THE RAIL,if that many. I knew the WP horses couldn't handle a horse loping a little faster past them so I decided to lope some circles on the inside well away from anyone. I loped my circles and finished and I was the ONLY person in the center and I was just sitting on my horse. This guy that had the whole rest of the arena to use, decides he's going to start backing horse in circles and backs his horse's hind end directly under my horse's nose! I'm sure it was on purpose. It couldn't have been anything else because he had tooooo much room in the other 3/4 of the arena. But I do a lot of ponying on my horse so he could have care less and we just stood our ground.

I guess my biggest pet peeve is hypocrisy at shows..... they say no dogs in the building and no alchol.... but yet there's dogs all over the place and wheelbarrows full of beer cans the next morning and I've seen many falling down drunk but NO BODY says a word. But heaven forbid someone should tie a horse to get seasoned by the warm up rail like they do at the barrel races/reining/cutting/ropings! That's more of a cardinal sin than loose dogs and drinking like crazy... and yet other events could care less.

We have a rider that runs in my district that has to lead her horse into the arena with a shirt or towel over its eyes other wise she cant get it with in 20ft of the gate. Me and a few others have been trying to ban her from running in any cga shows cause of this.

Well reining warm up pens are generally incredibly well organized and so the left to left doesnt really apply. But I have been at a couple large AQHA shows where one of the pleasure horses comes in and doesn't keep up with the reining warm up style, and then gets bucked off and we end up with an ambulance in the warm up pen, and now OUR warm up is screwed. Oh well.

I mostly run games and MY biggest pet peeve is gate sour horses. If you have to beat, drag, lead, pony, or back your horse into the gate, give the poor creature a break and a vet exam!

I know exactly what you are talking about, however alley sour horses don't always have physical problems..it's mental, created by the rider. The horse is run through the pattern so much, that it becomes sour. I prevent this problem by forcing the horse to walk calmly after every pattern run..except at shows.

I knew the WP horses couldn't handle a horse loping a little faster past them so I decided to lope some circles on the inside well away from anyone.

oh please

QUOTE

But I have been at a couple large AQHA shows where one of the pleasure horses comes in and doesn't keep up with the reining warm up style, and then gets bucked off and we end up with an ambulance in the warm up pen, and now OUR warm up is screwed. Oh well.

Im not sure what you mean? "doesn't keep up the the reining warm up style"

My point with the "give your horse a break" was to cover the mental aspects of a soured horse. Vet check to cover physical. Most soured horses need both.

ETA: I agree with Exes...disbelief. Every pleasure horse I know can, and HAS TO, be able to handle a horse passing them in the ring, whether warm up or show ring. Also wonder what the reining warm up style is.

I haven't been to an honest-to-goodness show in ages, lol. Some of your peeves bring back memories! Now, I rope at jackpot ropings in a local association, so I guess I'll state my annoyances about that. Let me start by saying that roping tends to draw some, well, "yahoos" for lack of a better term. They are easily recognizable, as they are usually the ones who come into the arena and go straight to tearing around at a barely controlled hand gallop. No walking or trotting, or loping quietly. Just get on and zoom wildly around. And they wonder why their horses are so bug eyed and worked up to the point that they won't settle and jig everywhere.

My second gripe is box-sour horses. Similar to gate sour horses in barrels, a rope horse that is soured on the box will rear, spin, balk, whatever to avoid going into it. Eventually someone will have to come out and lead the horse in, who will then proceed to rear, pop up and spin in the box, back through the barrier then have to be led back in. It usually takes a few minutes of this before the horse settles and sets enough for the rider to nod for the calf/steer. You get a bunch of these horses, and it can make for a looooong day.

My third gripe should be included in the first. Tearing around recklessly, cutting people off and slamming your horse to a stop, with no warning, in front of other people who are riding. I have said a few choice words to people who have done that to me. Oh, and people who ride 3 or 4 abreast on the rail at a walk yapping to each other. Same goes for the people who stop on the rail and sit there yammering with someone over the fence!

Im not sure what you mean? "doesn't keep up the the reining warm up style"

Well at all the shows I have been at, there is a very obvious system to the warm up pen. There are circles to the right, circles to the left, and people fencing in between. It is really convenient for everyone because they can go which ever direction they need, and it is pretty darn systematic.

But then I can recall several times when we have had a pleasure rider come in who wanted to ride down the rail, and that just isn't following the 'flow' of the typical reining warm up pen. I am explaining it terribly but does that make sense? Reiners warm up pens generally have 2 circles going at a time, one going left, one going right, and having someone trying to ride down the rail in a rectangle really can get in the way.

Must say, as a game rider, I prefer that! I hate when warm up pens get stuck in one direction and you get the evil eye for trying to switch and warm your horse up in both directions. Then again, warming up for my HUS classes, I still get annoyed when the warm up pen is stuck in one direction... I think this reining style warm up should pick up as a trend!

My third gripe should be included in the first. Tearing around recklessly, cutting people off and slamming your horse to a stop, with no warning, in front of other people who are riding. I have said a few choice words to people who have done that to me. Oh, and people who ride 3 or 4 abreast on the rail at a walk yapping to each other. Same goes for the people who stop on the rail and sit there yammering with someone over the fence!

My biggest pet peeve at shows (I run barrels and do gymkhana) is mainly the red ribbon rule. if your horse shows signs of wanting to kick if a horse gets too close you are required by rules of not only the arena but also the CGA district to tie a red ribbon to your horses tail or you get disqualified if your horse kicks someone and you knew your horse kicked. Granted new riders (and we keep up with who is new and who isnt) get a chance, if they are new we arent as harsh but still require red ribbon to go on the tail if new rider for gets after being told they get disqualified from one race if it happens again they get disqualified from the show, we have a strict 3 strikes rule when it comes to new riders and a no tolerance with seasoned riders.

amen!

Quick Kalamity-10 year old dun paint mareProud member of theCypress EquestrianandWindy Strides4-H Club!

Well at all the shows I have been at, there is a very obvious system to the warm up pen. There are circles to the right, circles to the left, and people fencing in between. It is really convenient for everyone because they can go which ever direction they need, and it is pretty darn systematic.

But then I can recall several times when we have had a pleasure rider come in who wanted to ride down the rail, and that just isn't following the 'flow' of the typical reining warm up pen. I am explaining it terribly but does that make sense? Reiners warm up pens generally have 2 circles going at a time, one going left, one going right, and having someone trying to ride down the rail in a rectangle really can get in the way.

Not a bad idea!!! I know the horsemanship people wouldn't mind,
but the rail hogs couldn't hog the rail the whole time! they would have to go in the 'middle' ooooh scary!

I hate rail hogs in the warmup pen, and what is it with people NOT knowing the left shoulder to left shoulder rule? I just stop and make them go around, but it is irritating, especially if I keep running into them and they KEEP hogging the rail!

What is the left to left rule??? I probably know what it is but I wanted to ask what your definition is.

QUOTE (DiluteMe @ Oct 26 2010, 11:51 AM)

Hmmmm, my pet peaves....

Getting started late.. (had my last one get started almost 2 hours late).

Not opening the entry booth until like a half hour before it starts... I have horses to get ready!! And am often in the first couple of classes!

I run the shows that my kids 4H club puts on and *I* try to start them on time. But one year our judge was late... Nothing the show staff can do about that... But if you go to a show that starts more then 15 minutes late chronically, try calling the show manager and see if you can help out. Not having enough people to run these shows is becoming a HUGE problem.

QUOTE (BadgersSandyRascal @ Oct 26 2010, 03:47 PM)

I have to agree with a lot of you on your show pet peeves.

The times between classes are kind of ridiculous at certain shows.
I've had 2 minutes to go from a hand held class to a equitation class, how exactly am I supposed to change my attire, saddle my horse, get on, and get to the ring in 2 minutes?

-_____-

Most show's that I know of have a short break after the in hand classes to prepare for the riding classes. If they don't, when you sign up write on your entry form that you need a tack change after whatever class you need it.

QUOTE (Stinger @ Oct 26 2010, 07:35 PM)

I mostly run games and MY biggest pet peeve is gate sour horses. If you have to beat, drag, lead, pony, or back your horse into the gate, give the poor creature a break and a vet exam! It obviously hates its job!! I understand some jigging for horses on the muscle but its pretty easy to tell the difference between an excited one and a sour one. It's especially annoying when it's hot, it's a big show, and these selfish riders with their miserable horses make the show go longer than necessary. It got so bad this year that several shows I went to gave you your in the hole call, on deck, up, warning, DQ. I LOVED it.

I agree and disagree. At the speed shows I run 95% of the gate sour horses are relatively quiet in the make up pen and after the run. It's the other 5% that need to give the horses a break.

QUOTE (Norcalracer88 @ Oct 26 2010, 07:50 PM)

We have a rider that runs in my district that has to lead her horse into the arena with a shirt or towel over its eyes other wise she cant get it with in 20ft of the gate. Me and a few others have been trying to ban her from running in any cga shows cause of this.

Why??? Is covering the horses eyes against the rule? How does the horse act before and after the run? Is it a complete fruit cake or is it relatively calm? As long as it's not against the rules and the horse/rider aren't causing problems with others when riding, why???

If at first you don't succeed, do it the way your wife told you to.
The winds of heaven blow between my horses ears (Arab proverb)
Everyday you are unhappy is a whole day wasted not being happy.
Eff em and feed em fishheads!

i hate when people are obviously done warming up their horses, yet they and a friend or two insist on just sitting on their horse in the warmup ring smoking a cig in the middle. If you are done getting the beans out of your horse/warming up....go back to your stalls!